A great many ball constructions are known in the prior art. Examples are the ball constructions disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,422, issued Apr. 24, 1990, U.S. Pat. No. 2,783,046, issued Feb. 26, 1957, U.S. Pat. No. 2,521,703, issued Sep. 12, 1950, U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,814, issued Dec. 19, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,424, issued Feb. 3, 1981, U.S. Pat. No. 2,086,094, issued Jul. 6, 1937, U.S. Pat. No. 2,078,382, issued Apr. 27, 1937, and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 138,150, issued Jun. 27, 1944.
The ball which is the subject hereof is particularly adapted for use by animals, especially horses. Horses are often confined for extended periods of time and it has been found that the animals become bored and listless in the absence of external stimuli. The present apparatus is for the purpose of providing such stimuli. More particularly, the play ball disclosed herein affords amusement to the animal and provides exercise for the animal.
The play ball is specifically constructed to facilitate its use by an animal. For example, a horse, due to the particular configuration of the play ball, can bite and lift the ball as well as roll the ball on the ground. None of the balls disclosed in the aforesaid list of existing patents incorporate the particular structural elements of the present ball which facilitate such use.